THE TRAMWAY.—HOW THE CONCESSION WAS MADE.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1898, Page 2

THE TRAMWAY.— HOW THE CONCESSION WAS MADE.

♦ TO THE EDITOR. Sir— So much has recently been said about the tramway concession that it might be supposed that at the time the extension was given the interests of the city were not properly safeguarded. As Mayor of the Council which was a party to the transaction, after (through the courtesy of Mr. Page, Town Clerk) looking through the committee reports, I have no hesitation in saying that nothing more could be done in the interests of the city, and under the same circurastauces I should act now in a similar manner. Shortly, the Council endeavoured to arrive at a price to purchase, but found that its estimate of the value and income was so different from thai of the tramway owners that it could not entertain the offer, added to the fact that it would have to raise a loan of probably £30,000, with a three-fifth majority, and absentees counted against it. According to the Act the tram proprietors were entitled to a new lease, under terms to be settled by arbitration. To show that the Council was alive to the future, I may mention that I wished a clause inserted providing for the twuns to be run by electricity, but JL)r. Grace objected. Three persons, Messrs. Gale, Higginson, and Blair, were the arbitrators, and after now carefully reading the award 1 am of the opinion there is nothing unfair in it. I think even if the Council had objected the Supreme Court would have compelled them to carry it out. Briefly — (1) At Iho end of 15 years the concession ceases without auy right of compensation. (2) At the end of 15 years the concession has to be put up to .auction, the rent of which goes to the Corporation, the purchaser to buy the plant at valuation. This clause, I understand, is what Mr. H. D. Bell took exception to. Now, if there were no such provision as that ' the plant, probably worth some £25,000, would, when the time runs out, be absolutely valueless to the owners, and it is very certain that the arbitrators, as reasonable business men, would have given quite ..different terms had that proviso of either getting it again or being able to sell their plant been omitted. Need I point out that this same provision is made in all the Corporation leases aud leaseholds of Government lands ? What is the reason Of "all this? .Mfc>Bell as Mayor, five years ago, did not see; anything wrong in what he now condemns. Mr. Blair was one of three gentlemen' who made the deed which he is reported to have said should never have been signed by, the Council. The reason of all is that the whole circumstances are now altered. There are nearly 10,000 more persons in the city imy, most of that increase being in Newtowu and the suburbs, and we have the condition that people live at one end of a long city and work at the other ; hence the existing trams are not equal to the existing conditions. That it is so is mostly duo to the present City Council, which has power to regulate the traflie, which it does not, aud if it took the trains over to-morrow the state of things would, I am certain, be no better. The trams travel at a good paefcj but it is the stoppages that kill time, and till that is altered, no matter how many cars were running or what motor, it would bo as bad. Let stopping-places be fixed at fairly reasonable distances, aud strictly adhered to ; this will largely increase the speed and prevent overcrowding. Tho Council should show that it is competent to manage the traffic (it has the power) before it attempts to purchase, which means another loau, and notwithstanding all the promises made when a loan is raised, it always leads to increase of rates. 1 am, &0., Samuel Buown. "Wellington, 4th July, 1898.